Life's Progress Through the Passions; Or, The Adventures of NaturaHaywood, Eliza Fowler
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Life's Progress Through the Passions; Or, The Adventures of Natura
Haywood, Eliza Fowler
English fiction -- 18th century
I have already said, that the bad conduct of his wife had been
repeated over and over to him without his discovering the least
emotion at it; yet would not his sister cease urging him to resent it
as became a man sensible of his dishonour, that is, to rid himself, by
such ways as the law puts it in the power of a husband so injured, to
get rid of her; and imagining that an ocular demonstration of her
crime, would make a greater impression on him, than any report could
do, she set about contriving some way to bring him where his own eyes
might convince him of the truth of what he had been so often
told:--but how to prevail on him to go out of his house, which he had
not now seen the outside of for some months, was a difficulty not
easily surmounted:--the obstinacy of grief disappointed all the little
plots they laid for their purpose, and they were beginning to give
over all thoughts of any future attempts, when chance accomplished the
so-much desired work.
He had ordered a monument to be erected over the grave of his beloved
son; which, being finished, and he told that it was so, 'I will see,'
said he, 'if it be done according to my directions.' Two or three of
his kindred were present when he took this resolution, and one of them
immediately recollecting, how they might make it of advantage to their
design, said many things in praise of the structure; but added, that
the scaffolding and rubbish the workmen had left, not being yet
removed, he would have him defer seeing it, till it was cleaned. To
this he having readily agreed, spies were placed, to observe the time
and place, where the lady and her favourite lover had the next
rendezvous. As neither of them had any great caution in their amour, a
full account was soon brought to the sister of Natura, who, with
several of their relations, came into his chamber, and told him that
the tomb was now fit to be seen in all its beauty.
On this he presently suffered himself to be dressed, and went with
them; but they managed so well that, under pretence of calling on
another friend, who, they said, had desired to be of their company in
this melancholly entertainment, they led him to the house where his
wife and enamorato were yet in bed. The sister of Natura having, by a
large bribe, secured the woman of the house to her interest, they were
all conducted to the very scene of guilt, and this much injured
husband had a second testimony of the perfidy of his wife; but alas!
the first had made too deep an impression on him to leave room for any
great surprize; he only cooly turned away, and said to those who had
brought him there, that they needed not have taken all this pains to
make him a witness of what he was convinced of long before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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